A letter telling me to stop my foolishness and keep my own house in order.
And another letter saying that they would keep their eyes on my neck, so I should try to survive if I could.
Though they hadn't been delivered through proper channels, the letters I and the Murim Alliance Leader received ultimately said the same thing.
They had planted a spy inside the Murim Alliance, and that spy was after my neck.
Whether I had been the target from the start, or whether I'd only become a target as a result, I couldn't say.
Either way, what I had to do didn't change much.
"Hoo."
"Hoo."
"Haa…"
The only sound was the quiet sighs filling the air. Well, that made sense. From the perspective of an Orthodox martial artist, a warning that something was about to happen to the Murim Alliance wasn't something to take lightly.
In other words, for the Unorthodox—those who wouldn't care even if the Murim Alliance took a heavy blow—the Lord of the Black Alliance merely shrugged his shoulders.
"My, my. Allow me to offer my condolences in advance."
"Lord of the Black Alliance. Don't you think you're speaking too lightly, as if this isn't your concern? Lives are at stake here."
The Murim Alliance Leader narrowed his eyes. Perhaps because of his promise to Great Master Jeonghyeon, he didn't unleash his Aura, but his tone was rather sharp.
Of course, the Lord of the Black Alliance wasn't the kind of person to be intimidated by such a thing.
"Isn't it because this isn't my business that I speak lightly? Have you forgotten that the Black Alliance has already gone through something similar? …Ah, but if you're here to ask the Black Alliance for help, I'd like you to state your price first."
"…That's not it."
The Lord of the Black Alliance curled one corner of his mouth and sneered. The Murim Alliance Leader started to respond, then stopped and quietly shook his head.
He had resolved not to pick a pointless fight with the Black Alliance, but that didn't mean he was comfortable accepting their help.
The Lord of the Black Alliance chuckled for a moment, then glanced over at me and let out a small laugh.
"Well, I don't care what happens to the Murim Alliance, but the White Moon Sword Lord is different."
"Me?"
"Yes. From what I can see, the Heavenly Demon seems quite fixated on you."
"Yes. Thanks to you, I've found myself in a difficult position."
"As I said before, I won't ask about the details. However, I would like to know what the Heavenly Demon wants from you. Do you have any idea?"
"There is one thing."
For a moment, all eyes focused on me. I gave a bitter smile and slowly began to speak.
"I believe the Heavenly Demon wants me to grow stronger."
"…Come to think of it, you did say before that if he ever touched you, he would back off."
Namgung Dowi spoke with an expression of sudden realization.
I nodded toward him and added my speculation from the recent battle.
"Yes. And the Slaughter King was also a good matchup for me. He was clearly stronger than me, but I'd say he was at a level I could reach with just a bit more effort."
"I see. So he was the perfect opponent for someone like you who hasn't been in the Harmony Realm for long. Come to think of it, the Sword Demon felt similar."
"Yes. The Sword Demon had forcibly stepped into the Harmony Realm through the Demonic Cult's forbidden Grand Ritual."
That was why he was a suitable opponent, and because he had built a martial art opposite to mine, I too had to reorganize the martial arts I had accumulated over the years to bring him down.
The people listening to my explanation began to wear expressions of disbelief.
"Just what is he trying to do by making his enemies stronger…"
"What's the matter? The Alliance Leader knows it well too. After all, everyone who ascends to the Harmony Realm has something wrong with them."
"Heh heh. So you're saying the Heavenly Demon is also one of those madmen, Poison King? The attitude of not suspecting that your son-in-law has something going on. Truly admirable. Ah, this Alliance Lord doesn't care what secrets you have, White Moon Sword Lord."
"Amitabha… That's enough, Lord of the Black Alliance. We agreed that no blood would be spilled in this place, yet you keep picking fights."
At the Great Master Jeonghyeon's words, the Lord of the Black Alliance scratched his neck awkwardly and fell silent.
A brief stillness. At its end, the Murim Alliance Leader nodded and spoke.
"In any case, I understand the situation. It's unsettling to think we're being played by the Heavenly Demon, but we can't just sit back and watch. The Murim Alliance will prepare its own countermeasures. And in that regard…"
The Murim Alliance Leader paused and looked this way.
"White Moon Sword Lord. Would you be willing to stay at the Murim Alliance for a while?"
"Alliance Leader! What do you mean by that?! Are you saying you intend to use the Tang Clan's son-in-law as bait?!"
The moment the words ended, Tang Jincheon shot up from his seat in fury. I too rose from my seat and carefully grabbed his arm.
"It's fine, father-in-law. The Heavenly Demon has always taken an interest in me. Even if I wanted to be bait, I wouldn't be allowed to."
"But…"
"If something happens, we'll have the Murim Alliance's help, so wouldn't that actually be safer? I imagine that's what the Alliance Leader intended as well."
I glanced toward the Murim Alliance Leader, who hurriedly nodded.
"The White Moon Sword Lord is right. Since we're in the Central Plains and not the Demonic Cult's territory, it's better to stay together than to split up and weaken our strength."
"…"
Tang Jincheon fell silent for a moment before letting out a short sigh and continuing.
"Very well. Then, would it be alright if I also stayed at the Murim Alliance for a while?"
"Of course! When the Poison King himself offers his aid, how could anyone refuse?"
Only after receiving the Murim Alliance Leader's firm answer did the real Tang Jincheon take his seat.
Various other topics were discussed afterward, but most were of relatively little importance.
The discussion came to an end in a somewhat subdued atmosphere. They were just beginning to rise from their seats one by one when—
Tang Jincheon, as if something had just occurred to him, spoke to the Great Master Jeonghyeon.
"This is a separate matter from today's business, but there is something I wish to ask of the Great Master. Would you spare me a moment?"
"Hm? That's fine. Then, no need to go far—would the Poison King stay in this room a little longer? Once everyone else has left, you may speak."
I had a rough idea of what he wanted to discuss. He'd said he intended to seek Shaolin's help regarding my seal, so that must be it.
The Lord of the Black Alliance and Sama Yuryeon seemed curious about our conversation, but in the end they didn't ask, simply exchanged brief greetings and left.
Likewise, the Murim Alliance Leader was about to leave with a nod of acknowledgment.
But just as he was crossing the threshold, he faltered for a moment, glanced back at Great Master Jeonghyeon, and only then stepped out of the room.
Now only our party and Great Master Jeonghyeon remained. I spread a Qi Barrier to keep the conversation from leaking out, then asked.
"Did you just send a Voice Transmission to the Murim Alliance Leader?"
"I spoke a little about the Heavenly Killing Star. Originally I intended to bring it up now, but… since you brought up your matter first, I had no choice but to postpone it."
"Ah."
Great Master Jeonghyeon let out a hearty laugh at the slightly apologetic look on my face.
"Heh heh. No need to worry. I'll just come by at dawn. Old men don't sleep much anyway, so don't trouble yourself over it."
"…Thank you."
"For such a small matter? But what is it you wish to discuss that has your faces so out of sorts?"
I, Tang So-wol, and Tang Jincheon wore serious expressions, while Seol Ri-hyang and Seomun Hwa-rin looked as though they had no idea what was going on.
Well, that was only natural. Since I intended to explain everything at once, I hadn't yet told those two.
Unable to answer on my behalf, Tang Jincheon opened his mouth.
"We wish to break a seal, but it seems beyond the Tang Clan's power alone, so we came to ask for your help."
"A seal?"
"…A truly vicious seal has been placed on my son-in-law. It concerns the Heavenly Demon."
I had been mistaken in thinking the seal reacted to information about regression rather than the Heavenly Demon.
Having grasped quite a lot beyond that, Tang Jincheon continued his brief explanation.
After hearing the full story, Great Master Jeonghyeon grabbed my arm and asked.
"Would you mind if I channel some internal energy into you for a moment?"
"Of course."
Great Master Jeonghyeon concentrated for a long while, but before long, he let out a deep sigh and lamented.
"Hoo. Had I not been told there was a seal, I would never have known it existed. But having heard of it, I find it utterly incomprehensible, so I must ask once more. Is this a seal that cannot be completely broken even with Intent? Or perhaps…"
"…"
"Tsk. Since it's a seal, I suppose I can't answer that far. Still, a seal that even Intent cannot overcome."
Great Master Jeonghyeon muttered, sinking into thought. It seemed this seal was beyond even his expectations.
Well, of course. Though he was bound by the seal and unable to speak, it wasn't so much that Intent couldn't completely break it, but rather that it felt positioned at a height Intent could never even reach.
Now that I knew this was no ordinary seal, it was time to get to the main point.
"Earlier, I heard from Great Master Gakjeong that the Shaolin Temple possesses many secret arts, merely refraining from using them unless necessary."
"It would be meaningless to hide anything from you, White Moon Sword Lord. You've already seen all sorts of things while sealing the Heavenly Killing Star's killing intent alongside your master. Indeed. We keep many Vajrayana techniques that use dharma implements and mantras rather than martial arts."
"As I expected…!"
If I played my cards right, I might find a way to weaken or bypass the seal without borrowing the Heavenly Demon's help.
Of course, the Heavenly Demon was the one who knew for certain, but if he was trying to use the seal as bait to manipulate me, I wasn't about to just sit there and take it.
"…I appreciate the high expectations, but I can't give you a definite answer."
"Pardon?"
"The Vajrayana techniques have become half-taboo in this era. At the very least, the abbot can't openly practice or research them, so I'll need to look into it separately."
"Ah… I understand."
Unlike the Taoist sects, where the decline of those who could use Taoist arts had gradually caused the arts themselves to wane, leaving only martial arts behind.
The Vajrayana techniques could still display considerable power in their own right. I had seen it firsthand when they sealed the Heavenly Killing Star's killing intent, and far away at the Potala Palace, they were still using them as their primary methods.
However, the Vajrayana techniques had a side effect: they easily led people into the Simma.
"Just as one uses internal energy to unleash martial arts, one needs something called dharma power to cast these techniques… It is a branch of Intent."
"Like killing intent?"
"Similar, but a more complex application. Let me ask you one thing. What happens to a martial artist who lets killing intent leak out every time he draws his sword?"
"He was fine."
"…I'm talking about ordinary martial artists, not you."
I chuckled at the sight of Great Master Jeonghyeon forcing a wry laugh.
"Nine times out of ten, they'd fall into Qi Deviation."
"The same goes for spiritual power. Used for good purposes, it causes no problems and even helps you grow, but the moment you use it to fight someone and take a life, the Simma gradually begins to well up within you. If you can overcome it without wavering, you'll be fine, but…"
"It's not as easy as it sounds. And if I have to handle a greater amount of Intent than killing intent, I'd fall into an even more fatal Qi Deviation."
"That's exactly it. More and more people, while trying to spread the Buddha's teachings in this world with a monk's body, end up falling into demonic nature instead. That's why it had to be forbidden."
Come to think of it, according to Great Master Gakjeong, the current Potala Palace had become so absorbed in Vajrayana that it had strayed from the path of the Buddha.
The Shaolin Temple's decision to forbid Vajrayana long ago had been the right one.
"So, I'll look into it for now, but don't expect too much. Perhaps there is no way at all, or perhaps there is a way but no one capable of carrying it out."
"That's enough for me."
"Understood. First, I need to find out exactly what seal is placed on you. Once I'm ready, I'll let you know. In the meantime, rest easy."
"Yes. Thank you."
I bowed politely to Great Master Jeonghyeon and left the room.
The moment I stepped out into the cool night air, Seol Ri-hyang and Seomun Hwa-rin began firing questions at me as if they'd been holding back their words this whole time.
"Cheon Hwi! What do you mean, a seal?! It's not something dangerous, is it? You're fine, right?"
"Who in the world placed a seal on you?! Even if the Shaolin Temple's power can't undo it, don't worry. If I defeat whoever placed the seal on you, won't it be lifted?!"
"I'm fine. And it's not an immediate problem, so don't worry."
Since the conversation was about the seal, I couldn't say much, but this much was fine.
Still, maybe it was because I couldn't speak properly. The conversation slowly started drifting in a strange direction.
"B-But, Cheon Hwi, is it also because of the seal that you do meridian cleansing so lewdly… no, so strangely?"
"Come to think of it, your hands were quite skilled at tickling and stroking this woman. Is that also because of the seal…?"
"…"
The words were a bit off, but not entirely wrong. As I fell into an unnatural silence, the two exchanged glances and nodded at each other.
Seol Ri-hyang and Seomun Hwa-rin subtly rose onto their tiptoes and brought their lips to my ears on either side.
And then, pretending to whisper, they said:
"You said it wasn't dangerous, right? Then wouldn't it be fine to just live with the seal…?"
"Th-this woman thinks she likes you just as you are."
"…"
Everyone's heads are filled with demons.
It seems I'm the only sane person here.